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PDFKit

JavaScript library for generating PDF documents in Node and the browser.

GitHub Download v0.20.2
Stars
10.7k
Forks
1.2k
Licence
MIT
Language
JavaScript
Last update
4 days ago
Type
Library

What it is

PDFKit is a JavaScript library that creates PDF files from code, working in both Node.js and web browsers. You build a document by calling chainable functions to add text, images, vector shapes, tables, links and pages, then write the result to a file or HTTP response. It is aimed at generating multi-page, printable documents programmatically.

  • Generate a multi-page document with embedded TrueType or OpenType fonts
  • Add JPEG or PNG images scaled to fit a given box and aligned on the page
  • Draw vector shapes with paths, gradients and transforms
  • Add clickable links and highlight or underline annotations
  • Produce a PDF in the browser and offer it as a downloadable Blob

Great for

  • Node.js developers who need to generate PDFs such as invoices or reports from application data
  • Developers building PDF output that must run in a browser without a server round trip
  • Projects that need embedded fonts, JPEG/PNG images, links, or form fields in generated PDFs
  • Teams that want a code-driven alternative to editing PDF templates by hand

Not ideal for

  • People who only need to edit or fill existing PDFs, since the README describes creating documents rather than modifying them
  • Users who want a no-code tool; the README shows only code examples
  • Projects that need layout features the README lists as still coming, such as higher-level content layout APIs and pattern fills
Step-by-step guide: how to use PDFKitInstall, first run, examples, tips and FAQs
jsPDF vs PDFKitPDFKit vs react-pdf

How to get it

  1. 1

    Install with a package manager

    You'll need: Node.js (version not stated in README)

    Install with npm

    npm install pdfkit

    Install with yarn

    yarn add pdfkit
  2. 2

    Run it

    • Install the package with npm or yarn
    • Create a file that requires PDFDocument from 'pdfkit'
    • Create a document, pipe it to a write stream, and add text or images
    • Call doc.end() to finish the file
  3. 3

    Get the most out of it

    • Use the fit and align options on doc.image to size and position pictures precisely
    • Embed your own TTF, OTF or WOFF fonts with doc.font for consistent branding
    • Use the registerFile approach in browser builds to supply fonts and images without a file system
    • Consult the programming guide and the demo folder in the repository for more examples

Downloads

Source code (.zip)master branch · straight from GitHubRelease v0.20.21 files incl. pdfkit.standalone.jsOfficial website & docspdfkit.org/

Strengths

  • Simple chainable API that the README says makes complex documents a few function calls
  • Works in both Node and the browser, with a prebuilt standalone file and bundler guidance
  • Broad feature set listed in the README, including encryption, outlines, AcroForms and accessibility support

Trade-offs

  • Bundling for Node needs extra steps for standard fonts and PDF/A output, according to the README
  • Browser helpers toBlob and toBytes are described as experimental and may change
  • Layout is largely manual; the README says higher-level layout APIs are not yet available

How it compares

ProjectStarsTypeLevelUpdatedBest for
pdfkit (this)10.7kLibrarybeginner4 days agoNode.js developers who need to generate PDFs such as invoices or reports from application data
jsPDF31.3kLibrarybeginner5 days agoWeb developers who need to let users download a generated PDF from a page

Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.